Change
by notjustaflower
Summary: Three years after the balcony kiss, Sam and Freddie find themselves in a very similar setting.


_**Disclaimer- Me? Own iCarly? Haha. You're funny.**_

--Freddie POV--

A lot can happen in 3 years, I should know. Exactly three years ago today, I kissed the girl I once called my best friend. Now, we barely even see each other and have become more like acquaintances. But, regardless of out shoddy relationship, I know she'll come. She hasn't failed yet. I _know _she'll be there. She has to be.

You see, for the past two years, we've been meeting at the fire escape on the reunion of our awkward kiss. We just talk. Usually about our different lives, and how we miss being so close. But, in all honesty, I'm not sure that it could work again. We've both changed so much.

She's no longer the bully, but I can tell that her abrasive demeanor is still hidden there. The curly blond hair is gone, now replaced with a stick straight almost-black color and a neon pink stripe running down one side. Her wardrobe is a bit different too. It's less tomboy-ish, but not quite girly. She wears makeup too. And not just the basic cover up stuff. She usually has really dark eyes, and then the rest of her face is pale. Maybe the dark eyes are supposed to draw attention away from her new piercing. Yes, piercing. Since our kiss, she has had three more put into her ears, and the newest one is in her lower lip. But I suppose that is the normal thing for her and her new friends now. They're all like that, with the multiple piercings, the dark makeup and tight clothes. Even the boys. I guess it's kinda weird that I know all this, but I just can't help it- I pay attention to her.

But, she's not the only one who has changed. Admittedly, I am no longer a nerd. Though I still know a lot about computers, techie stuff has become more of a hobby than a lifestyle choice. In these three years, I've grown too. I now stand at 6'2", towering over most of my classmates. I also box on a regular basis, meaning no more flab at all. I bet I could even pin Sam if I wanted to. Then there are all the girls. They all started noticing me around the end of ninth grade. Sadly though, not one of my relationships really went anywhere. I guess they just didn't meet the standards Carly and Sam had unknowingly set.

Why did we drift apart, you ask? I blame Yakima. Carly's Grandfather had snapped over the summer before our sophomore year. He gave her two days notice, saying that she was going to live with him and that she could never come back. He just forgot to mention that he had no Internet or phone service. He only had a cell that she wasn't allowed to use. Mr. Yakima also didn't think Carly was old enough for a cell phone, so he got rid of hers. Writing a letter was her only option. She only wrote two. One for me, and one for Sam. There was no return address on the envelope. She had told me in her letter that she was starting fresh- cutting all her ties. I still don't understand why.

Anyway, after that, Sam and I didn't have much common ground. We only speak once a year. That reminds me- tonight is our meeting. At least, I think it is. I'm not positive that she'll even show up this year. We don't even acknowledge each other in the hallways anymore. No. I'm not going to worry myself. She'll be there.

* * *

She's late. I've been sitting in my lawn chair for two hours. I guess I was wrong. She's not going to come. Sighing, I got up and flicked off the music I was playing. I turned to fold up my chair and heard a knock on the window. "Sorry I'm late. My mom wasn't in a very good mood, and it took a while to calm her down. You know how she is."

I did know. Her mom wasn't really crazy, but she was just a little emotionally unstable. "Oh, that's alright."

She smiled and took a seat on her ledge. "So, Freddie, how's your year been? I haven't seen you with many girls lately."

I sat back down, but this time on the steps, and laughed. "It's been good. Yeah, not many girls have really caught my eye." Okay, so maybe I was lying. It was just a little lie, though. I mean, she has a boyfriend, so I can't exactly tell her. "How have you been? Still with… what's his name again?" I knew his name. Josh Stone. She's been with him for 18 months. But, it's not like I was counting or anything.

"Oh, I've been okay. Josh? No, we just broke up last night." Surprisingly, she didn't sound that upset about it.

After that, we settled into a comfortable silence for about 20 minutes. That's what I really missed the most. These moments when we can just sit together and feel… _home._ But she eventually cleared her throat, telling me she had something to say. "Listen, Freddie. I think you should know the reason I broke up with Josh…"

Okay, I was officially confused. Why is that my business? But, I decided to listen anyway. "Um… okay? Why did you break up with him?" I sounded pretty uncomfortable, though I was aiming for nonchalance.

She looked up and into my eyes. There was an unknown emotion buried deep, but I couldn't make it out. She seemed to be struggling for words, but finally steeled herself and said, "I… I miss _us. _I can't stop thinking about it, and he noticed, so I just... stopped stringing him along."

I gulped. "Oh... uhh... Me too, I mean, yeah.." I never know what to say when I'm nervous.

She laughed at my discomfort. "Spit it out, Benson."

Blushing, I looked to the ground and said, "I suppose I have a similar reason for lack of girls."

Her laughter abruptly stopped. Eventually curiosity won out, and I looked up to see her expression. She was staring at me, wide-eyed and mouth open. Though, once she saw that I was watching her, the mouth immediately snapped shut and the eyes suddenly found interest in my shoelaces. She was embarrassed. "Oh, I thought... Well, this is..." she sighed, "So, what now?"

What now. Two simple words, endless implications. "I don't know, Sam. Whatever feels right, I guess."

"Oh." She seemed to ponder something for a minute, and then looked up with a determined fire in her eyes. In one swift movement, She leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine. I can honestly tell you that I did not see fireworks. I just saw Sam. But, in my personal opinion, that's much better anyway.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, well I've been working on this for a while now. I'm not totally satisfied with the end, but oh well. Tell me if you spot any errors, or if anything confuses you, I'll fix it or try my best to explain.  
**

**Random Fact: All human babies are born with 99.9% identical genes. That 0.1% account for all of our differences. I know, it's just wow.**

**So, please review and tell me whether one-shots are my thing or not.**

**Until next time,**

**-lily**


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